So why do we steer clear from tables? Well it is basically because they were never created to be used in the way we were using them. They were more intended for word processing and simple "tables" of data not whole web pages with all of their content.
I remember a couple of years ago a friend of mine showed me his website and then he showed me what it looked like with all the tables borders showing, as if to say "look how complex this is, how long do you think that took to make". Of course as any normal human being at that point I was thinking "shouldn't there be a better way?".
Well now there is. We can now create symantec html pages which do not look different in every browser. When i started designing for the web I used tables and I remember that when I used to validate my html I would have errors into the triple figures. Now with a couple of DIVs and CSS I can make pages that have absolutely no errors.
So if you have not started designing without the use of tables START NOW. Otherwise you will not be able to keep up with web trends and fashions.
I am sure you all have lots of views on this subject so please comment with your thoughts.